Chapter 32
Natalia studied the nails of her right hand as the nail technician finished the left.
"Sweetie, when you're done I'm gonna need you to redo this pinky."
The nail tech nodded. This bitch was always so picky.
Natalia's phone rang. Normally she ignored all calls during her weekly manicure, but the initials LSM popped up. Well, well, well. What on earth could Loverboy Lucian want. She pulled her hand away to pick up her phone and extended her pinky to the nail tech. "Go ahead and do this one while I take this call."
The nail tech nodded. Picky and rude.
"Why hello, sunshine."
"Hello, Natalia. How are you?"
"Gorgeous with a tight body."
Lucian laughed. That was definitely true. Natalia was one of the hottest women he knew. And the deadliest.
"You won't hear me disagree with that."
"It's true so there's nothing to disagree with. So, what's up loverboy? I only hear from you when you need something."
"I'm afraid that's true. I promise to call one day just to chat or better yet, to invite you down. It's been too long."
"What can I do for you?"
Lucian gave Natalia a quick rundown. Natalia grew increasingly incredulous as she listened.
"Let me get this straight. You think Ohio mafia boy is in New York, undercover, all alone, on a mission to murder the boss man himself and you want me to find him, but I can't ask anyone anything because that would blow his cover."
"Yes. And I need you to find him today. Quickly. He might be in trouble."
"Ya think? Why would he be here alone? Does he know New York like that?"
"No. I'm sure someone's helping him but I don't know who and I'm sure that's by design. I don't call you because it's easy. I call you because you're the best and time is of the essence. I need you to find him. Fast."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, but I will take your money. Anything you can tell me that would be helpful?"
"Start with Chartussi's Manhattan building."
An hour later, Natalia stood across the street from Chartussi's building contemplating the best approach. She'd made a few discrete calls but no one knew anything about a hit coming out of Ohio and no one had seen or spoken to Blaine Anderson. The only person whose denial gave her pause was Laurent Bethenson.
Sometimes silence speaks volumes.
L&L&L&L
…just wondering if you've talked to or seen Anderson lately."
Silence.
"Laurent?"
"Why?"
"I received a distress signal today on his behalf from an interested party. The whole thing sounds preposterous, but I trust the caller. He wouldn't bother me if something wasn't up."
Silence.
"Laurent?"
"A distress signal?"
"Yeah."
Silence.
"Laurent? Laurent?"
"No. We haven't talked to Anderson since travelling to Ohio for his father's funeral."
"Are you sure? Because if he is here it sounds like he's in trouble. I'm just trying to help."
Silence.
"Laurent, are you napping, or getting your dick sucked or something?"
"I'm sure. We haven't heard from him."
Laurent hung up the phone and turned to his brother who was already shaking his head.
"We're not getting involved. He knew what he was getting into. We made our terms clear and he agreed."
"But if Natalia's calling that means something must have happened and he reached out to someone. He didn't contact us to protect us, but now that we know something's wrong..."
Logan stood up. "We don't know anything because we have nothing to do with anything, remember?"
Laurent turned angry. "So, we're just gonna turn a blind eye to this? He put himself on the line to take out someone we never could! We can't just…"
Logan grabbed Laurent and slapped him.
"Shut up! Not another word! To anyone! Do you hear me? We didn't force him into anything. He knew the risks. We're not jeopardizing our position because his crazy ass plan went south."
"But what if he's…"
"Not. Our. Problem. If something went wrong we'll hear about it like everyone else. On the news."
Natalia quickly put the pieces together. If what Lucian said was true, Anderson would have to have help from someone in New York. No way he could just waltz into Chartussi's building and take him out. Disguised or not he'd need a way in and only someone with New York connections could provide that. The Bethenson twins made sense. Their hatred of Chartussi was no secret, they'd always been friendly with the Andersons, and they had the most to gain from Chartussi's death. Their denial made sense too. The other New York families would be pissed if they found out the Bethenson's helped an outside family gain footing in New York. And, despite the general dislike of Chartussi, he was powerful and still had friends. The Bethenson's would be targeted for destruction.
She crossed the street and settled on a simple plan of attack. Slip in the building, look around, see who or what she could find, and slip out. She knew Chartussi's offices were on the 13th floor so that seemed like a logical place to start.
She walked into the lobby of the building with confidence and purpose. Act like you belong and people rarely ask questions. She was surprised there was no one at the security desk as she walked right by and headed down a hallway off the main lobby towards the stairs. She decided to start with the basement. Most clues were usually found behind the scenes.
Right as she came out of the stairwell the freight elevator doors opened. She managed to crouch behind a laundry cart just in time. Four men rolled a table out of the elevator. On the table was the body of Frank Chartussi. A tall man dressed all in black came hurrying down the hallway.
"Oh, my God." He made the sign of the cross. "Why the hell is he on a table?"
"It's the only way we could think to get him out. He was in the back stairwell. Not to speak ill of the dead, but he ain't light. It was a struggle to get him up the fucking stairs and back to his office."
"Why didn't you go down the stairs?"
"Those stairs lead to a main conference room. Didn't wanna take a chance on being seen."
"Why didn't you leave him in his office?"
"Thought we should get the body outta here as soon as possible. The director from Stanman Funeral Home is on his way. We told him to come to the back to avoid a scene."
"Well, at least cover him up. Jeez." The man reached over and grabbed a sheet from one of the laundry carts. Natalia crouched lower and barely missed being seen.
He draped the sheet over Chartussi's body and made the sign of the cross one more time.
"We know who did it?"
"Nope. Didn't see anybody."
"Well, nobody could've just walked in here and start shooting. Could be an inside job. Let's account for everybody."
"There's a lot of bodies up there. We lined 'em up in the hallway. It might've been two people."
At that moment a short man appeared and cleared is throat.
"Excuse me. I'm Fred Stanman. Stanman Funeral Home."
Natalia waited for the hallway to clear before jumping on the freight elevator to head to the 13th floor. She exited the elevator and peered around the corner. There was one guy hanging around the entrance to Chartussi's office. She could see the dead bodies lined up on the floor. Impressive. If Anderson was working alone, he was pretty lethal.
Natalia removed the clip holding her hair back and shook it out. She smoothed down the front of her dress and lifted her breasts. She often found that her best asset was not her murderous skills, her ability to speak five different languages fluently, or her expertise with locks. It was that she was attractive. Men were idiots who lost their ability to think or process when a pair of breasts were in their face. Such sad, dumb creatures.
"Excuse me?"
The guard turned around. Whoa.
"I seem to have gotten turned…oh my God!" Natalia covered her mouth with her hands as she looked at the bodies. "What happened?"
"Uh, miss you really shouldn't be here."
"I'm so sorry. I think I took the wrong elevator. What happened? Why are there all those bodies? Are you investigating a crime? Are you a police investigator?"
"Uh, well…not exactly. Listen, this isn't a sight for a pretty girl like you. What's your name sweet…"
Natalia had slowly moved closer and closer to the guard until she was right on top of him. She smoothly punched him several times, flipped him over the desk and knocked him unconscious. She put her hair back up in the clip, pulled out her gun and entered Chartussi's office.
Bullet holes everywhere. A shot up table. A vent cover on the floor. Natalia looked up. Ah. Smart. Must be how he got in. She carefully moved through the office to the bedroom. There was a trail of blood that led to a door. She followed it and opened the door to the hidden passage. She slowly started down the steps as the motion sensor lights came on. She continued down following the blood trail until she reached a large puddle of blood. The kill spot. She peered down the next flight of stairs. Seeing no blood, she contemplated going back up, but her eye caught a dark red smear on the wall.
If Chartussi died here, why more blood on the wall down there?
She continued down the stairs. When she reached the final flight, the sensor lights came on and illuminated a body lying at the bottom.
Natalia approached slowly and looked him over before checking for a pulse. He was alive but his pulse was weak. She studied his face for a moment.
Is this Blaine Anderson?
She'd never met him in person but she'd seen Mario Anderson once at a meeting. After his death she'd heard people talk about how the son looked exactly like his father. This guy had long curly hair and a full beard. Mario was always clean shaven and neat.
Well, if he's supposed to be undercover…
She stood up, took out her gun and slowly pushed open the door. It opened up into a conference room. The door was perfectly camouflaged to appear as part of the wall. She perched it open and peeked out the entrance of the conference room. It appeared to be on the main floor of the building. She quietly crept down the hall and peered around the corner. Yep. They were on the main floor by the main entrance just a few feet from the security guard desk which was now manned.
She went back to Blaine and checked his pulse again. Still weak. She bent down and whispered to him.
"Okay, Blaine. At least I think you're Blaine. My name is Natalia and I'm gonna get you out of here. Just hold on for me, okay? Hold on. "
Natalia took out her phone.
"Roger? Natalia. I need an ambulance, but you're not gonna like it when I tell you where I'm at."
"Where are you?"
"Chartussi's Manhattan building."
"Aww, fuck. Natalia…"
"Listen, Chartussi's dead so it actually won't be that hard getting in, but I need you to hurry. Just pull up right out front and come in the main entrance."
"Chartussi's dead? Shit! Did you kill him?"
"We can discuss later. Hurry up! I don't want this guy to die!"
"Who's the guy?"
"Roger!"
"Already enroute."
N&B&N&B
20 minutes later a skinny white guy with a man bun entered the lobby pushing a stretcher accompanied by 4 other men. The security guard was baffled.
"Excuse me? Where are you…"
Natalia struck him in the head knocking him out.
"Down here. Hurry."
Roger looked around nervously and took out his gun. "How the hell did you end up here?"
"We can discuss later."
"Are we gonna be able to just take him out?"
"I told you. Chartussi's dead. Once crew guys lose their leader they tend to scatter. It shouldn't be a problem."
Roger watched his men carefully lift Blaine on to the stretcher.
"Who is this guy?"
"I think he might be the new King of New York."
Natalia climbed into the follow car for the ambulance. She took out her phone and dialed Laurent's number.
"I know you have no interest in this whatsoever, but I thought I'd let you know I found Anderson. He's alive but might not be for much longer. We're on our way to Kolstedt Place."
Laurent breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
T&K&T&K
Telio was sitting at his desk trying to do his history homework but accomplishing nothing. He closed his laptop and turned towards Kurt who was sitting on the bed. He'd been there since the end of the school day. His back was against the headboard and his arms were wrapped around his knees. He looked sad and lost, a state he'd been in all day. Telio was about to speak when his phone rang.
"Yes?"
"It's Laurent. Never tell Logan I made this call. He's alive, but he's been shot. I don't know how bad it is but he's on his way to the Kolstedt."
"On our way and thank you."
Telio stood up. "Come on. We're going to New York."
In Florida, Anastasia sat nervously in Lucian's living room sipping her fourth drink. It wasn't like her to drink like this and she knew she should stop since she'd barely eaten all day, but it gave her something to do besides wring her hands and worry. Initially, asking Lucian for help made her feel better, but as the day wore on she grew concerned. What if sending help to Blaine ended up putting him in danger? What if she accidentally derailed a carefully laid out plan?
Lucian had been completely honest with her. He explained who he called and why.
"Natalia operates out of New York. She's a free agent. Her services are for hire, not loyalty, but I consider her a friend. She's done work for me before. She can be trusted, and she can find your son. She will find your son."
Anastasia almost dropped her drink when Lucian's phone rang.
"Hello? Well?"
Anastasia held her breath as she watched Lucian's face.
"Uh huh. Uh huh. Great. Thank you. We're on our way." He hung up.
"She found him. He's been shot, but he's alive. We'll take my jet."
Natalia was rarely nervous, but she definitely felt a wave of trepidation as the ambulance pulled through the gates of the Kolstedt. Roger's team had stabilized Blaine on the ride over, but she knew they couldn't afford to waste time. He needed to get into surgery. Bringing him to the Kolstedt was risky, but it was also the safest place for him in New York City.
If she could convince them to take him.
Once the ambulance came to a stop, Roger jumped out and opened her car door.
"Okay, girlfriend. This one's on you. They only see me as a contractor, not a member.
Natalia nodded as the Admissions Commander, known to all as the AC approached along with two armed guards. He was a tall, imposing man whose stern expression and lack of sympathy or compassion was legendary. He was the gatekeeper of the Kolstedt and he took his job very, very seriously. Rumor was he'd watched men shot full of bullet holes die right in front of him without so much as a blink of the eye.
"Good afternoon. How may we assist you?"
"Two gunshots. Right side and shoulder."
"A member?"
"No. I'm asking he be admitted under my membership. Natalia."
The Admissions Commander frowned and scrunched up his face at the same time. The Kolstedt was a private hospital that only served private members of the criminal kind. Membership was required, expensive and exclusive. No membership, no entrance. Not even family members.
"The Kolstedt does not…"
Natalia cut him off. "I know the rules. I wouldn't have brought him here if he wasn't important enough for you to make an exception."
"The Kolstedt does not make exceptions." The Admissions Commander turned to leave.
Natalia felt desperate. A very foreign feeling for her. She started yelling.
"He's Blaine Anderson of the Andersons of Ohio! He just executed Frank Chartussi and took over his crew making him the New King of New York!"
Okay, so she wasn't sure that was completely true, but the clock was ticking.
The Admissions Commander turned and arched an eyebrow. "You can prove this?"
"Yes. Well, I mean not this very moment, but do you really want the story to be that the Kolstedt let a major mafia boss die because of membership protocols? Please. Admit him under my membership. I take full responsibility for actions and costs."
The Admissions Commander stared at her for what felt like an hour but was really only a few moments. He took out a phone and pushed a button. A team of nurses and doctors suddenly burst from the building. Blaine was taken out of the ambulance and wheeled into the building in seconds.
Roger let out a breath. "Alright girl. I'm out. I hope it all goes okay and doesn't end up biting you in the ass. This place is unforgiving."
"I trust my contact. Thanks for getting us here."
Natalia followed the Admissions Commander into the building followed by two armed guards. He led her to the admissions desk where she signed in and turned over her weapons.
Then she sat down to wait.
Kurt and Telio didn't speak at all during the private plane ride to New York. Kurt felt numb and frozen, his mind completely blank. He wasn't scared, or excited, or worried. He was just existing, breathing, waiting.
The plane landed on a private runway at a small airport in New Jersey. They were met on the tarmac by a tall heavyset man who Kurt could have sworn bowed slightly before he began speaking.
"Welcome to New York. I'm San Lucas."
"I'm Telio, this is Kurt."
San Lucas nodded and pulled out an envelope.
"I was instructed to give this to you. You should read it now."
Telio took the envelope. He immediately recognized Blaine's handwriting.
Telio:
If you're reading this it means I was successful but am unable to make the next move. That means it's up to you to solidify our position. The man standing in front of you - San Lucas – knows what to do next. All you have to do is say to him, New York Nuclear, and he'll take it from there until you and I can talk.
Are you impressed? You better be impressed.
Blaine
Telio smiled. Yeah. He was impressed. He looked at San Lucas.
"New York Nuclear."
San Lucas nodded and gestured to the open door of a waiting limousine.
"Chet will take you to the Kolstedt. I'll handle everything else and meet with you later."
Almost an hour later the car pulled through the gates of the Kolstedt. Telio could see Laurent waiting for them.
"Telio, Kurt, welcome to New York."
"Thanks. Have you seen him?" asked Telio.
Laurent shook his head. "No. That's why I'm here. The Kolstedt is a members only hospital that serves…shall we say…a very private clientele. It doesn't operate like other hospitals. Frankly, the fact that Natalia was able to get Blaine in is surprising."
"Who's Natalia?"
"She's the one that found him. I'm not sure who hired her, but she found him and brought him here."
At that moment the Admissions Commander appeared flanked by his two guards. Laurent lowered his voice.
"I'm going to try and get him to let you guys in to see Blaine. Just let me do all the talking."
"Good afternoon. How may we assist you?"
"Good afternoon. I'm Laurent Bethenson. Member. We're here to see Blaine Anderson. I realize the Kolstedt has strict rules regarding guests, but I respectfully ask for an exception based on my family's long-time membership and due to the importance of these two gentlemen to the future of the New York underworld."
The Admissions Commander looked bored and unconvinced. "And what exactly makes these two men so important that the Kolstedt should make an exception to decades old policies?"
"Telio is Consigliere to Blaine Anderson, the new leader of New York, and Kurt is his…partner."
The AC's expression shifted from bored to annoyed. "This is the second time today I've been lectured about the new dawn of leadership in the form of this Mr. Anderson."
Laurent nodded. "Yes, a new day has arrived. I assure you it will be for the better. For all of us. In the meantime, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, but we deeply appreciate your cooperation and consideration during this time of transition. I assure you that these men will be members of the Kolstedt very soon."
The Commander pursed his lips and gave them a look of annoyed disdain.
"The Kolstedt does not permit guests."
Laurent nodded. "Yes, I understand that, but…"
"The Kolstedt does not permit guests."
Telio eyed the two-armed guards. Trying to shoot their way in was probably a bad idea.
Kurt had been listening quietly and growing increasingly frantic.
"This is ridiculous. You're a hospital. How do you not allow guests?"
"We're not just any hospital."
"Please? We won't stay long. I just…I need to see him. I have to. It's been months and now he's hurt, and what if…what if he dies…" Kurt's head suddenly started throbbing and feeling like it might float away all at the same time. He swayed slightly. Telio grabbed him and pulled him close. "Shit. Come on, Kurt. Stay with me. I can't have both of you in the hospital."
Laurent stared down the AC. "Look. I know the rules and I appreciate them. I get why they're in place, but I'm telling you. The last thing you want to do is piss off the new head family of New York. Blaine Anderson wakes up and hears you didn't let his second in command and lover see him, you're going to regret it. Blaine Anderson is the son of Mario Anderson and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
The AC stared at him for a long moment. "Your family will be held accountable for any adverse actions that arise from their admittance."
Laurent nodded. "Of course. I promise there will be no trouble. Thank you."
They followed the AC to the admissions desk to sign, in and relinquish their weapons. Telio was proud to see Kurt pull a small handgun from his waistband.
They followed an attendant down the hall and into an elevator. As each floor rang out, Kurt's chest grew a little tighter. He still felt as if his entire being was on hold, but stress was starting to take its toll.
They exited the elevator and headed down the hall. Natalia stood up as they approached.
"Nice of you to come, Laurent, especially since you knew nothing about his being in New York."
Laurent ignored her comment. "Telio, Kurt, this is Natalia."
Natalia nodded. "Hi. He's in there."
Telio and Kurt quietly entered the room. Telio stood at the foot of the bed while Kurt slowly approached the side of the bed. For a moment he simply stared at this strange looking version of Blaine. He had a full beard and his head was a curly mass of long unruly hair. He was thin and pale, and his breathing seemed very slow and deliberate. Kurt hesitantly took his hand, brought it to his lips, and pressed kisses into Blaine's palm as tears ran down his face.
Since guests weren't allowed there were no chairs so Kurt simply stood by the bed and cried silent tears of relief. Telio decided to try and get some answers.
He stepped out into the hallway where Natalia and Laurent were speaking quietly. They stopped talking when Telio approached.
"How is he?" asked Laurent.
"He seems fine. Still sleeping." Telio looked at Natalia. "Exactly who are you?"
"I'm Natalia."
"But how did you find, Blaine? Laurent said someone hired you."
"Yes. I was hired this morning to locate him, and I did. In record time I might add."
"Hired by who?"
"I'd prefer not to say. I'm not exactly sure about his role in all of this."
Telio didn't like the sound of that, but before he could inquire further, the elevator doors opened and Anastasia and Lucian stepped out.
"Oh, Telio!" Anastasia ran down the hall and embraced him in a tight hug. Telio stood still in surprise. Anastasia pulled back and desperately searched his face. "Where's Blaine? Is he okay?"
"He's in there."
Anastasia immediately entered the room. Lucian grinned at Natalia. "Wow. You really are amazing."
"You're just now figuring that out?"
"Is he going to be okay?"
Natalia shrugged. "I guess so. You know how this place runs. No one would tell me anything."
Telio felt frustrated. Who were these people? Laurent sensed his frustration.
"Telio, I'll explain everything later. I promise."
A doctor came down the hall and entered Blaine's room. Telio followed him in.
"I'm Dr. Winston. I was told there were people here to see Blaine?" He looked completely confused by this.
Anastasia nodded. "Yes. Please, is he going to be okay?"
"The surgery went well. We're sure we got all the bullets. Frankly, his injuries weren't life threatening. No major arteries were hit, but he still lost quite a bit of blood due to the time that lapsed between getting shot and arriving here. Fortunately, we had plenty of his type on hand. He's heavily medicated for the pain so he'll sleep. He'll need to rest in order to heal and recover, but he should be fine in no time." And with that the doctor left.
Kurt was still holding his hand while Anastasia stood on the other side of the bed gently caressing his hair. She spoke quietly. "Oh, my darling. I'm so sorry. I never wanted this life for you. Your father never wanted this life for you. We always thought…" Anastasia trailed off as tears ran down her face.
About 10 minutes later a nurse appeared.
"You need to leave so he can rest."
Kurt shook his head. "We're not leaving."
The nurse looked confused. She didn't understand why all these people were here to begin with. "What are you talking about?"
"We're not leaving him here alone. As a matter of fact, could you have someone bring in some chairs?"
The nurse looked horrified. "Chairs?"
"Yes, chairs."
The nurse shook her head. "That's out of the question. All of you need to go. Now."
Kurt shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere until he wakes up."
Telio sighed. He hated to do it, but he didn't want to cause trouble for Laurent who shouldn't even be there, and he had a meeting with San Lucas. He'd feel better going to that meeting knowing Kurt was safely locked in a hotel room.
"Kurt, we need to go. Technically we aren't even supposed to be here. I'll speak to Laurent about coming back tomorrow, but for now let's just go. He's fine. He's sleeping. Nothing will happen to him."
"But, we can't just leave him here!"
The nurse scowled. "Shhh. Please lower your voice and leave."
Kurt turned on her, his eyes blazing. "How dare you…" He was cut off by Telio pulling him towards the door.
"Kurt, don't. Just come on."
Out in the hallway, Kurt was about to lose it. "Why do we have to leave? Whoever heard of a hospital not allowing visitors? What's wrong with this place?"
"This isn't like regular hospitals. This is an underworld mob hospital. The rules are different. You gotta calm down."
Laurent placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "It's okay, Kurt. I've made arrangements for everyone to stay at the K Hotel next door. I'll speak to the AC about you being allowed to come back tomorrow, but for now we can't afford to make trouble. Technically they should have turned you away. We need to make nice."
"Guests aren't allowed, but there's a hotel next door? Makes perfect sense." said Kurt with a fierce eyeroll.
A guard led their group through the building and across a small indoor bridge connecting the hospital to the hotel. There were 3 guards on each side of the bridge.
The hotel was impressive. Kurt was sure it was one of the grandest buildings he'd ever entered. Expansive high ceilings of engraved gold, marble columns with travertine tile floors and huge crystal chandeliers. Under different circumstances he would be excited to be here.
They stopped at an engraved mahogany desk and were greeted by the first friendly looking staff person.
"Welcome to the K. All of the arrangements have already been made, so if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your rooms."
The rooms were just as beautiful and grand as the lobby areas. Kurt was surprised to see that his things were already in the room. He checked out the closet and bathroom before sitting down on the massive bed.
He put his face in his hands and cried.
Every emotion that had held its breath all day came pouring out until he was completely exhausted. He lay on the bed staring at the wall until there was a knock on the door.
"Kurt? It's Telio."
Kurt slowly climbed off the bed and opened the door.
Telio studied his face. "You okay?"
Kurt shook his head.
Telio closed the door behind him as Kurt shuffled back to the bed and laid down.
"It's gonna be okay, Kurt. Despite the bullshit, the Kolstedt is an outstanding hospital. Blaine's gonna be fine."
Kurt said nothing.
"I have a meeting with that San Lucas guy so I'm leaving the hotel for a couple of hours. I want you to stay here, okay? Just stay here, order room service, and try to get some rest. I don't really know who we can trust and who we can't, so don't leave, or try to go back to the hospital or anything, okay? Just stay here and rest."
Kurt said nothing.
"Kurt? Kurt?"
"Okay."
Kurt woke up early the next morning. He showered, dressed and called Telio.
"I wanna go see, Blaine."
"Yeah. Okay. Gimmee a few minutes." He sounded exhausted.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Long night. Just stay put. I'll be there in ten minutes."
Kurt sat down to wait. A few minutes later there was a knock at his door. Wow. That was fast.
He opened the door to find Anastasia standing there.
"Oh. Hi."
"Hello, Kurt. I hope I'm not disturbing you too early."
"No, no. I was just waiting for Telio. I wanna go see Blaine."
Anastasia nodded. "Me too. May I wait with you?"
"Of course."
Kurt stepped aside for her to enter. He sat down on the bed and she pulled over a chair from the corner. The two sat there for a moment just looking at each other. They hadn't had a real conversation since before Mario died. Kurt would never regret killing Cooper but he hated being a part of Anastasia's pain. Hated that their relationship – that had stared off so incredibly well – was probably irrevocably changed. What did you say to the person whose child you killed, even if it was for a very good reason?
Anastasia had her own inner struggle going on. She knew Cooper wasn't Kurt's fault. It was Cooper who put in motion all the actions leading to his death, but…as a mother it was hard. Incredibly hard. But she also had many, many questions about what had been going on since she left and she figured Kurt was the only person who could and would answer them. She needed him.
"How's your school year going?"
"It's fine. A little lonely without Blaine."
Anastasia nodded. "Yes. I can imagine. I…Kurt, how did he end up here? What's been going on?"
Kurt shook his head. "I really don't know. All I know is that he came to New York to kill someone named Chartussi."
"Frank Chartussi. Did he? Is Chartussi dead?"
"Yes…at least I think so. When we got here, Laurent said something about Blaine being the new head of New York."
"The new head of New York?" Kurt nodded.
Anastasia stood up and walked over to the window.
The new head of New York. Mario would be so proud.
There was a knock on the door. Kurt opened it to find a very tired looking Telio.
"Hi. You look exhausted."
"Thanks. You ready?"
"Wait. Telio, please come in," said Anastasia. Telio was surprised to see her.
"Oh. Hi."
Anastasia looked at him with concern. "Kurt's right. You don't look good."
"I was up most of the night. Things are moving fast."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. What exactly has been going on? Why is Blaine in New York? Have you been here, too? Did he really kill Frank Chartussi?"
Telio looked between Anastasia and Kurt and decided it was time for them to know everything.
That's me. Always the fucking truth teller.
"Blaine's been here since August. The Bethenson twins arranged fake documents and a fake background that would check out, but the rest was all Blaine. He got a job working as a janitor in Chartussi's Manhattan building. The plan was for him to figure out a way to kill Chartussi and escape. It took three months but he finally did it except I guess the escape didn't go like he planned."
Anastasia was furious. "What the hell was he doing here all alone? What weren't you or someone else with him?"
"That's the way he wanted it, and frankly that was the only way it could work. The Bethensons couldn't be involved. The other New York families would murder them for betraying the region. No one can ever know they helped us. I'm actually surprised Laurent was even here yesterday."
"But you're supposed to protect him!"
Telio shook his head. "Not anymore. I'm his Consigliere. Not his protector. We decided it was better that way."
Anastasia was about to argue when she caught herself. Had it ever been fair that Telio was expected to take a bullet for her son? Instead she sat down in the chair and closed her eyes. All three were quiet for a minute until Anastasia opened her eyes and asked the question Kurt had been wondering since he first boarded the plane with Telio.
"Does he plan to move to New York?"
Telio shook his head. "Not yet. That's why I've been up all night. We're hoping to get things tied down long enough for us to graduate and then move. We just need things to hold on for 6 months."
Kurt felt small flicker of hope in his chest. "Does that mean he's coming back to school?"
"He's gonna try. He knows how much Mario wanted him to graduate." Kurt looked at the floor.
Crap. "And he really misses you, Kurt," Telio added quickly. "He wants to be with you."
Anastasia stood up. "Okay. Let's go. I want to know when we can take him home."
For the next three days, Kurt and Anastasia took turns sitting by Blaine's bedside much to the irritation of the hospital staff. The Admissions Counselor learned that Blaine was indeed the new head of New York so special accommodations were made regarding his stay. Comfortable chairs were brought into his room and Kurt and Anastasia were given permission to stay as long as they liked. Two armed Kolstedt guards were posted at his door and the doctor provided slightly less annoyed updates on his progress.
"At this point it's a waiting game. Rest is the most important thing. Once he wakes up, he'll still need to rest and stay in bed until his healing is further along. It's going to take time."
On the third evening, Kurt found a large envelope waiting for him in his hotel room. Inside was a very official letter stating that he was now a paid in full member of the Kolstedt Hospital Consortium. There was one for Blaine as well. He stared at the payment page stamped paid in full.
$350,000 each. Per year.
Damn.
Who paid this? Is this really necessary?
The next day he arrived at Blaine's room to find Telio sitting by the bed dozing off. It was the first time he'd ever seen Telio anything less than alert.
"Telio?"
Telio immediately opened his eyes and sat up straighter. "Hey."
"Telio, you need to go to bed. You look terrible. What the hell have you been doing?"
Telio shook his head. "Listen, I know you wanna stay, but you gotta be back in class tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Are you kidding? I'm not leaving!"
"You have to, Kurt. You can't miss school."
"You're missing school!"
"But I'm better than you academically. I can easily make up this week. You can't."
Kurt felt insulted and was about to argue, but stopped himself. Telio was right. Kurt got good grades because he worked his butt off. Telio's grades seemed to come far more effortlessly.
"I can't leave before he wakes up. Today's just Tuesday. It's only the second day I've missed."
"If you leave at 3:00 pm you'll be back in time for dinner."
"Telio, stop. I'm not leaving until he wakes up. I'm not."
Telio was about to argue when Blaine made a noise.
Kurt grabbed his hand. "Blaine? Blaine? Can you hear me? It's me, Blaine. I'm right here."
Blaine slowly turned his head. His voice was a quiet hoarse whisper.
"Kurt…"
"Yes! Yes! I'm right here! I'm here!"
Blaine slowly opened his eyes. "Kurt…"
Kurt laughed and cried at the same time. "Yes! Yes! Hi. Oh…I love you. Hi."
Blaine looked at him and then slowly shifted his eyes to Telio whose face was now one of exhausted relief.
"You did it, Blaine. Well done."
Blaine closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. "Impressed?"
Telio smiled. "Yeah, man. I'm impressed. Very impressed."
The doctor and nurse came in and shooed Telio and Kurt out so they could do an examination. Out in the hallway, Kurt couldn't help himself. He threw his arms around Telio and sobbed. Telio held him. "I told you he'd be okay."
Anastasia turned the corner and saw them. Her heart jumped in her chest. She rushed to them.
"What? What?"
Kurt looked at her and laughed. "He's awake! He's awake and talking!"
Anastasia leaned against the wall. "Oh, God. I thought…ohhh…"
After several minutes the nurse and doctor emerged. "You can go back in but not too long. He still needs to rest."
Blaine's eyes were closed but he opened them when he felt Anastasia take one hand and Kurt take the other.
"Hi…mom…"
"Oh. Hello, my darling. My darling, beautiful boy."
"Come…home."
Anastasia nodded. "Yes, yes, I'll come home."
Blaine closed his eyes and seemed to go back to sleep. Kurt sat watching him until he glanced over at Telio who was slowly sliding out of his chair.
"Telio!"
Telio opened his eyes with a start and seemed to be reaching for a gun he wasn't carrying.
Kurt shook his head. Enough of this. He grabbed Telio's hand and pulled him out of the chair. The fact that Telio was allowing him to do this was further proof to Kurt that the boy was beyond exhausted.
"I don't know what you've been doing, but you have to go to sleep. Now. You're about to fall over!"
"It's only for another week or so. I'll be fine."
"No, you'll be dead from lack of sleep! What are you doing? Where do you go when you're not here?"
"Chartussi may be dead but that doesn't mean we just inherit New York. We have a very small window of opportunity to make sure everyone understands that New York is now Anderson territory, otherwise a full-on war will erupt. We can't let that happen. I've gotta get things locked down quickly. That's what I've been working on. There's a lot going on outside these walls."
Outside these walls… Kurt suddenly realized that he hadn't stepped a foot outside of the hospital hotel complex since arriving. How was that possible? He was in New York for the first time in his life and he hadn't even seen it.
"Let me help. Tell me what you're doing. You go sleep and I'll go do it."
"Yeah, well that's a total no."
"Why not? Look, you can't do this all on your own. You're going to fall over and get shot. Let me help."
"Absolutely out of the question. Not only would Blaine have a fit, I'm pretty sure your father would not appreciate me getting his son further wrapped up in the fucking mafia. I'll be fine. I've got a few hours before my next meeting. I'll get some sleep and be fine. Don't worry."
"Okay, then take me with you?"
"Kurt…"
"Come on, Telio. Please? I've been in this building for days. Let me come with you and learn."
"Absolutely out of the question. Look, one of us needs to be with Blaine to make sure no one tries to take him out. I know this place is like a fortress and there are guards and all, but those aren't our people. I need you here watching over him. I'll handle the rest. Okay?"
Kurt was stuck. Of course he wanted to watch over Blaine.
"Fine, but you have to promise me that you'll take tomorrow off and sleep all day. Surely the great New York takeover can wait one fucking day."
Telio arched an eyebrow. Kurt cursing. Not unheard of, but not common. "I'll see what I can do."
K&A&K&A
Kurt returned to the room. Blaine was asleep and Anastasia was staring off into space. Kurt sat down and stared at Blaine's face, now seemingly completely covered by hair. Maybe he could get his hands on a shaving kit and some scissors…
"How has your school year been?"
Kurt looked over at Anastasia. Okay, didn't she already ask him this?
"Fine. Lonely without Blaine, but fine."
Anastasia nodded. She was looking at him as if to say "it's your turn."
"How's Florida?"
"Florida is…well, it's pretty, but it's not home. My sister means well but she gets on my nerves. She wants to fix my life."
Kurt suddenly thought of something. "Who was that guy that came with you?"
Anastasia blushed slightly. "Um, his name is Lucian. He's…a friend. He's been very kind and patient with me."
Kurt nodded. "That's good. You deserve someone nice."
Anastasia shook her head. "Oh, it's not…it's not what you're thinking. At least not yet. I don't think I'm ready for…that."
Kurt spoke a little quicker than he meant to; the thought suddenly became out loud words. "But, what about Luther? I guess I thought…" Kurt trailed off.
Anastasia was quiet for a moment. "That…that was different. That was…it was something that had been simmering for a while."
"So…Blaine was right about…"
Anastasia cut him off. "No. No, of course not. That's not what I meant. Luther's feelings for me had been there for a while. I didn't know until…it was just different. Safe. Comfortable. Convenient."
Like Andrew. Kurt felt a small wave of guilt for thinking that.
Anastasia stood up. "I'm gonna go find something to eat. Do you want anything?"
"No, thank you."
Anastasia leaned over and brushed away Blaine's curls to kiss his forehead. "I'll be back, darling boy. You just rest and get better."
Once she left, Kurt moved his chair closer to the bed and firmly gripped Blaine's hand in his. He was a bit startled when Blaine opened his eyes.
"Well hello."
Blaine's voice was still a hoarse whisper. "I've…missed…you."
"I've missed you, too. I'm so glad you're awake. I'm so glad you're alive. Please don't do anything like this ever again."
Blaine closed his eyes. "I…love…you."
"I love you, too, Blaine. I love you, too, and I can't wait until I can clearly see your face again. I am officially against this mountain man look."
"But…do…you…like…ponytail?"
"Well, I can't really see it so the verdict's not in yet."
"Where's…Telio?"
"He's working. Making sure there's no war."
Blaine opened his eyes. "I…did…it…Kurt. I…did…it…for…you."
"What do you mean for me?"
"You…want…to…move…here. Now…it's…safe…for…you. For…us."
"I thought you did this to avenge your father."
"That…too."
Kurt wasn't sure what to say. Was thank you even appropriate?
Blaine appeared to fall back asleep so Kurt laid his head on his arms and listened to Blaine's breathing. He was almost asleep when his cell phone rang.
Dad.
Shit.
Kurt quietly exited the room. "Hi dad."
"Kurt, are you okay?"
"Of course. Why?"
"I got an email that you missed two days of school."
Dammit. Kurt meant to send a note to his homeroom teacher that he was sick. With everything going on he'd forgotten.
"Um…yeah. I…" Kurt thought for a moment. I don't feel like lying. "I'm in New York."
"New York?"
"Yeah."
Silence.
"Kurt, what the hell are you doing in New York?"
Kurt spilled.
All of it.
Everything.
He left nothing out.
When he finished, Burt said nothing for several minutes. Kurt waited.
"So, how's Blaine doing?"
Wow. His dad was the best dad in the world.
"The doctor says he'll be okay. No major arteries hit. He just needs to rest."
"And how long do you plan to stay there? You can't just miss school, Kurt."
"I know. I'm…I'm not really sure, but I promise it won't be long."
Burt sighed. "I want you back in class on Friday, Kurt. That way you can get the work you've missed and spend the weekend catching up."
Kurt didn't know what to say. He couldn't really argue. Not when his was dad was being so nice and accommodating.
"Okay. Friday. Dad…thank you. Thank you for understanding."
"Just promise me you'll be careful."
"Of course. I promise."
"I love you, kiddo."
"Love you, too. And give my love to Carol."
Kurt hung up and fell back against the wall.
Wow. Talk about progress.
Kurt was glad he told his dad the truth, especially since Burt was now Congressman Hummel, having won the election two weeks ago. The last thing he wanted was for his father to be blindsided by some reporter. Will Schuester and the rest of the campaign team had managed to keep Burt's connection to the Andersons out of the campaign and away from the press, but now that Burt had won people were starting to sniff around, especially since Burt was a newbie and relatively unknown. Both sides of the aisle wanted to know more about him.
Kurt closed his eyes and exhaled. It was the first time since arriving that he felt somewhat relaxed. Blaine was alive, Anastasia was speaking to him, and for once his dad knew the truth about his whereabouts. Now, if he could just get Telio to sleep, everything would be almost okay.
Many blocks away in a basement apartment on the upper Eastside, a group of ten young men were sitting in a circle talking. Around the perimeter of the room armed men were listening and watching one another warily, each waiting for the other to make a wrong move.
Representing the Anderson family in the circle were Telio and San Lucas. Logan and Laurent Bethenson were also present, but no one in the room knew they were aligned with the Andersons. The other six men represented established New York families. All six were contemplating shooting Telio dead but were smart enough to know that wouldn't solve the problem. Not as long as Blaine Anderson was still alive.
A short Italian man with a thick Brooklyn accent was speaking.
"The Clemenza family has no strong opposition to the Andersons coming to New York as long as you stay out of Brooklyn. We always viewed our dealings with Chartussi as unfair. You make us a fair offer on our current Manhattan business dealings, and we are happy to welcome you as a new partner."
A thin man with dark green eyes named Mchonn responded angrily.
"Fuck that! I'm not down with this carpetbagger bullshit! Fuck the Andersons. I didn't like Chartussi, but this is New York. Not Ohio or the Midwest. New York belongs to New Yorkers." Several men nodded in agreement.
Logan Bethenson spoke carefully. "We ain't crazy about this either, but we're inclined to agree with Clemenza. If the deal is right, we'll stand down."
Mchonn sneered nastily. "Don't you mean bow down? Everyone knows you worship at the throne of Anderson."
Logan jumped up. "The Bethensons have been in the Bronx since 1914. How dare you question…" Laurent grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Look we could spend all night arguing who's more New York than the other. The fact is we're all New Yorkers. The question on the table is what to do about the Andersons. Personally, I'd like to hear what their plan is before making a decision about anything."
All eyes landed on Telio who'd been silently listening and taking mental notes despite his sleep deprived state. He turned to San Lucas and nodded. San Lucas opened his briefcase and took out 7 envelopes which he handed out to the group as Telio spoke.
"As you all know, Blaine was injured during his take down of Chartussi. You're welcome. What you have in your hands is our initial plan of how all business will move forward under our leadership. Review it, think about it, and decide. As soon as he's recovered, Blaine will meet with each of you to answer any questions you may have."
The room was silent as the men reviewed the documents. Each plan had been carefully crafted and individually designed based on the research completed by Vince and with the help of the Bethensons.
Telio stood up and had to take a moment to steady himself. He was grateful no one but San Lucas noticed. Kurt was right. He needed to sleep for an entire day. Maybe several days.
"Gentlemen, there's a lot to review in those documents, so like I said. Take your time, go over it with your family, and prepare to meet with Blaine one on one in a few weeks to discuss." Telio paused before continuing. "But let me be very clear. The Andersons are here to stay. We're not going anywhere."
With that he turned and headed to the door followed by San Lucas, the Bethenson twins and their men. Logan took a final look around the room and smiled. The men were busy reading their documents, dazzled by the millions in financial growth being promised.
Logan locked the door behind him.
Mchonn heard the click and looked up. He looked around. "Hey, what the fuck?"
One of the guards tried to open the door.
All at once panic set in as the men looked at each other and realized that the heads of 6 New York families were locked in a room.
Five seconds later the bomb went off.
Telio quietly entered Blaine's room and stood by the side of the bed. Kurt was asleep on the other side, his hand holding Blaine's. Telio was staring at Blaine trying to decide if he should wake him or not when Blaine suddenly opened his eyes.
"Hey."
"Hi."
"How ya feeling?"
"Tired…accomplished…"
Telio nodded. "Okay. Well here's something to make you feel triumphant. New York nuclear."
"New…York…nuclear?"
"Yeah." Telio took his hands and made explosion signs. "Boom."
"All…of them?"
"All of them. You are now officially the King of New York."
Blaine closed his eyes and for the first time since waking up, fully smiled.